Clemson fans leave their mark with $2 bills

While the Clemson team has been practicing for its bowl game against the West Virginia Mountaineers (8:30 p.m., Sun Life Stadium, ESPN), banks in the Clemson, S.C., area were doing their own pre-game preparations. They special-ordered the $2 bills from the treasury, and some banks even have paw stamps and orange ink pads on hand for fans to use. It is illegal to deface U.S. currency to the point it can’t be used, and the banks can’t stamp the bills themselves, but the small prints — and other small messages written on money — are generally overlooked and accepted at business establishments.

“Our Clemson branches have been anticipating this game and stocking up on $2 bills,’’ said Diane Wagner, a spokesperson for Bank of America. “We want to make sure our banks are well-equipped and ready for all the Clemson fans who are traveling. It’s really a great concept, and we’re happy to be part of it."

Blake Beckwith, who works at a Clemson Wells Fargo bank, said: “We preorder lots of $2 bills in December, but we also have good stock of them all season because Clemson fans use them for other road games. Whenever someone walks up and asks for twos, we automatically know they must be Tigers fans. All the local banks are very familiar with the tradition."

When the $2 bills are recirculated and wind up back in South Carolina banks, they are usually sent to the Clemson branches and set aside so they will be ready when Tigers fans show up.